Bob Dylan started his musical career in the late 50s and released his first album in 1962, same year as The Beatles also released their first record. So he was part of that incredible revolution that happened in terms of songwriting, because he was one of the first artists who showed it was possible to write about other things rather than love.
He has been on the road for more than six decades and had the chance to see many incredible musicians. He once named two as triumphant in their work.
The 2 musicians Bob Dylan called “triumphant in their work”
One of the most prolific songwriters in the history of music, Bob Dylan already released more than 40 studio albums and is constantly on the road. However he rarely talks to the press but in an interview with The New York Times back in 2020 about two musicians he believed were triumphant in their work. The first one was Little Richard, who was nine years older than Bob and started his musical career in 1947. The second one was John Prine, who was five years younger than Dylan and started his career in 1969.
Both musicians had passed away recently at the time, so the interviewer asked Dylan to talk about them. “Both of those guys were triumphant in their work. They don’t need anybody doing tributes. Everybody knows what they did and who they were. And they deserve all the respect and acclaim that they received.”
“No doubt about it. But Little Richard I grew up with. And he was there before me. Lit a match under me. Tuned me into things I never would have known on my own. So I think of him differently. John came after me. So it’s not the same thing. I acknowledge them differently.”
During the same conversation he recalled the Little Richard era as a Gospel singer and said he was great. “Little Richard was a great gospel singer. But I think he was looked at as an outsider or an interloper in the gospel world. They didn’t accept him there. And of course the rock ’n’ roll world wanted to keep him singing ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly.’ So his gospel music wasn’t accepted in either world.”
He continued:
“So I think the same thing happened to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, I can’t imagine either of them being bothered too much about it. Both are what we used to call people of high character. Genuine, plenty talented and who knew themselves, weren’t swayed by anything from the outside. Little Richard, I know was like that.”
“But so was Robert Johnson, even more so. Robert was one of the most inventive geniuses of all time. But he probably had no audience to speak of. He was so far ahead of his time that we still haven’t caught up with him. His status today couldn’t be any higher. Yet in his day, his songs must have confused people. It just goes to show you that great people follow their own path,” Bob Dylan said.
When Little Richard passed away Dylan said he felt like a part of his life was gone
Little Richard certainly was one of Bob Dylan’s biggest influences and after the musician passed away in 2020 at the age of 87, Dylan shared a touching message on his social media. He revealed that he was feeling like a part of his life was gone.
“I just heard the news about Little Richard and I’m so grieved. He was my shining star and guiding light back when I was only a little boy. His was the original spirit that moved me to do everything I would do. I played some shows with him in Europe in the early nineties and got to hang out in his dressing room a lot.”
“He was always generous, kind and humble. And still dynamite as a performer and a musician and you could still learn plenty from him. In his presence he was always the same Little Richard that I first heard and was awed by growing up and I always was the same little boy. Of course he’ll live forever. But it’s like a part of your life is gone,” Bob Dylan said.